RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

There is an EU prisoner transfer agreement but Poland - which accounts for the most foreign prisoners in the UK at 951 - does not need to enforce it until the end of next year.

When Mr Cameron became prime minister there were 11,135 foreign prisoners in UK jails, and this figure has fallen by just 5 per cent since to 10,442.

International Development minister Grant Shapps has travelled to Ghana to sign the transfer agreement which will mean around half of the Ghanaian prisoners in UK jails could go home.

There are 96 Ghanaian held in British jails, according to figures from September.

Of these, 48 are serving sentences longer than four years and would be eligible for transfer.

David Cameron has previously vowed to end the practice of the British taxpayer picking up the bill for criminals with no business in the UK

International Development minister Grant Shapps has travelled to Ghana to sign the transfer agreement which will mean around half of the Ghanaian prisoners in UK jails could go home

Mr Shapps said: 'Removing foreign national offenders is a key priority for the British Government.

'This is an important achievement for the UK and the latest such compulsory agreement the UK has signed with another nation. The British Government is committed to negotiating further compulsory transfer agreements wherever it can.

'This is also a further example of the close relationship between the UK and Ghana and underlines our commitment to remove prisoners who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom.'

Under the deal, an inmate can be forced to leave the UK with or without their consent provided both governments agree.